New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-01-31
TILE CITY CU1R[TIES.

1t is a work OF great importance to care
properly for the $4,000 inmates Of the institu-
tons of the Department Of Charities and Cor
recton in this city, The men who do this work
should be able to give their whole time TO it;
they should he Of varied and ripe experience i'll
their respective departments, and free from all
political entanglements. Unfortunately, this is
not the case. The three commissioners who
preside over this department arc the men who
recently appointed an indicted gambler" Fat
ty" Walsh-as custodian Of one Of their inn
| portant institutions. Political considerations
have for many years entered into the manage
mcnt OF this department, and the commission
crs, as rule, have devoted only part Of their
time to the public business.
| Under these circumstances, the watchful care
exercised by the State Charities Aid Aseoca-
ton and the State Board Of Charities has been
of great public benefit. Since the Visiting
| Committee Of the former association began its
visits to the various institutions, calling aten-
ton to the defects it discovered, there has been
marked improvement. But much remains to
be done, as will be seen 10y the extracts from
the annual report of this committee published
in THE TRIBUNE to-day. One Of the serious
evils in these Institutions is the Oycrcrowding.
| This is very marked in the amshousc and the
insane asylums How far the Commissioners
are responsible for this it is difficult to say.
| They were provided with means some years
| ago to purchase a farm which TO accOmmo-
| date insane patients. The land was finally
| purchased but no use has yet been made of it.
| There has been a rapid increase in the num-
Der of inmates i'm these public inst tutions great
| ly in excess of the increase of the population.
| This is due to the large number Of pauper,
insane and otherwise helpless persons that drift
| to or are thrust upon the city for support from
other communities, States and countries. The
position Of the city renders it comparatively
easy to thrust these dependent PERSONS upon it.,
| and the extent and variety Of its charities
seem to stimulate and invite them to come here.
The State Board of Charities which has in
vcstigated this matter, reports the undue in
crease in the number of these dependent persons
to he wholly due 10 this cause Since 1880
there has been an increase Of ,243 in the num-
Der of insane in the city asyums, making a
| total Of 4,261. Most of these are forcign-born
and were probably sent here from Europe 1t
is the business of the Charity Commissioners to
protect the city from the expense of caring for
the pauper, insane and dependent persons be-
longing to other communities, but it is extreme
ly doubtful if they half perform their duty in
that respect.
This same thing is going on in the various
asylums and institutions under private manage
mcnt which draw their support from the city
treasury. There was an increase in the appro-
priation for these private institutions Of
1921 900 this year. Children whose parents
are fully able to care for them are put in those
institutions TO be cared for at public expense.
The amounts paid for their support by the city
vary according to the special acts under which
they arc committed, and often leave a margin
of profit TO the managers. This stimulates them
TO hunt up children for commitment. 1t is such
methods as these that have run up the city ap-
preparations for these private institutions TO
about 100000, which is in addition to the
large snm expended by the Charity Commits